The Minnesota Twins sent their best current pitcher to the mound today in RHP Kenta Maeda. He pitched well except for a couple of mistake pitches that were sent out over the fence for solo home runs but 6 innings while allowing just 3 runs is considered a quality start and this Twins offense should be able to win the majority of games when their pitching only allows 3 runs.
That’s the problem, the Offense.
No Offense
So what’s wrong with the offense? Well, for starters, they’re without starters. Three starters are on the Injured List (IL) in C Mitch Garver, 3B Josh Donaldson & CF Byron Buxton. That’s a 3rd of their lineup and big parts of this team.
Sadly, none of those guys were really lighting it up on offense before they went down with injuries but now you’re sending guys who aren’t considered starters in to play multiple games and they haven’t been playing…like…at all. But, that’s their job. Get out there & produce & they aren’t getting it done.
No excuses but why is it happening?
Are the Twins hitters trying to do too much? This could be the biggest reason for their struggles. Nobody is coming through to create more offense so is each player then putting more pressure on themselves to be The One who gets it done or gets it started?
In today’s game, someone said Nelson Cruz wanted his team to be more intense for today’s game. Is that a sign they are lacking confidence because of their struggles? That brings up the next point. They don’t look like they’re having fun right now. Having fun is a result of having confidence in your abilities and your teammates. Unfortunately, losing will destroy that confidence but they should get it back and maybe playing the next 8 games at home will do that.
They could win the next 8 games. It is possible. Most fans wouldn’t expect that to happen but that’s what’s great about this team & really any team. They don’t need to care what the fans think to have success.
I expect they will have an intense flight home talking about all of this and maybe playing the Chicago White Sox and a pitcher who pitched a no-hitter in his last game in RHP Lucas Giolito is just what they need.
This team responded to adversity almost every time last season so it’s time for them to step up and make some things happen starting tomorrow night. There are good leaders on this team in Manager Rocco Baldelli, DH Nelson Cruz, LF Eddie Rosario, LHP Taylor Rogers and others that will get together and fix this.
This is why it’s always fun to see how a team responds to losing a game, a series or having a bad stretch like a 3-6 road trip against their Central Division foes. The next 8 are also against the Central Division, too.
No Need to Panic!
The Minnesota Twins are 1.5 games back in the Division as this is being written. Cleveland lost and the White Sox are tied at 2 with the Royals and headed into extra innings so they’ll stay 1.5 games back regardless of the outcome of that game. They’ll either be 1.5 games back of just Cleveland or both Cleveland and Chicago. There are 25 games left in this 60-game season and 16 of those games at home for the Twins. This is their stretch run. There is no need to panic. Get your work in and a win tomorrow night changes the narrative.
They could get Josh Donaldson back soon and RHP Michael Pineda is scheduled to start on Tuesday. Someone said it’s time to call up one of their top prospects (OF Alex Kirilloff, OF/1B Brent Rooker or OF Trevor Larnach) & that it needs to be done.
A response to that said “..its time to make a big trade & to start benching some of these bums. Let them know that if they don’t play well, then they don’t play at all.”
Both of those are panic moves and there is no need to panic. Panicking is not what good teams do and threats seem like a rarity especially when it would be a pretty empty threat because who are you putting in their place? What move can you make in either of these situations? The only roster move that looks like could be an option would be to send RHP Juan Minaya back down to their Alternate Playing Site. His contract was recently selected so I don’t really see that happening unless it’s a move to activate RHP Cody Stashak. RPH Sean Poppen could be another option but I still think that move would be to bring up a different pitcher, not a position player.
Is there really any position player you could send down to bring up one of those prospects? It doesn’t look like it. You can’t send down a catcher because you only have two on the active roster. They have 6 infielders listed on the active roster in 1B Miguel Sano, 2B Luis Arraez, 2B Ildemaro Vargas, 3B/UTIL Marwin Gonzalez 3B/UTIL Ehire Adrianza & SS Jorge Polanco so they aren’t going anywhere. For outfielders, they have LF Eddie Rosario, OF LaMonte Wade, Jr, CF Jake Cave & RF Max Kepler.
Could LaMonte Wade be sent down for one of those prospects? Yes. Probably but they called him up because he can play every outfield spot. Marwin could play in the outfield if needed and Cave or Kepler can play center field, too.
How healthy is Rosario? Well, he pinch-hit in the top of the 9th in today’s game so that probably means he’s not going on the 10-day IL. The only other active roster player is DH Nelson Cruz and he’s obviously not going anywhere.
We’ll see what happens but, again, they are 1.5 games back with 25 games to play. There is no need to panic.
Get home. Get some rest (and a nap or two) and come ready to play tomorrow night!
Highlights from Today’s 3-2 Twins loss to the Detroit Tigers
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